/View.info/ 2024 will be an important milestone for BRICS – the union has invited several new countries. It is Moscow that will have to help the newcomers feel the advantages of the alternative international format of the G-7. Russia will chair the organization under the motto of strengthening the multilateral approach to fair global development. What other tasks does Russia set for itself and how will Moscow influence the further development of BRICS?
Russia exchanged the BRICS presidency with Brazil and will lead the association in 2024. In August 2023, at the XV summit in South Africa, the leaders of the countries adopted the relevant Johannesburg Declaration. The association was filled with five new countries – two African (Egypt and Ethiopia) and three Middle Eastern (Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia). Thus, the total BRICS GDP will be approximately 36% of the world’s, and the union will represent about 46% of the world’s population.
Argentina was also invited to join BRICS, but after the coming to power of President Javier Millay, the country refused to join this organization. Millay spoke about his reluctance to do business with China and Brazil. He is more inclined towards economic rapprochement with the US and Israel. However, more and more nations want to become members of the union. Pakistan recently announced this, as did Venezuela. In total, about four dozen countries are in line to join BRICS, including Algeria, Tunisia and Turkey.
In his congratulations to the new BRICS members, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured all his colleagues that “we will continue the work we started today – to expand the influence of BRICS in the world.” “I mean establishing practical work with new members of the organization and with those of our partners who in one way or another pay attention to cooperation with our organization and would like to work with us,” the president said during the meeting in South Africa.
According to Putin, Russia will not isolate itself. “On the contrary, we will expand pragmatic, equal, mutually beneficial, highly partnership relations with friendly countries from Eurasia, Africa and Latin America. In the same countries, by the way, we have many people who think the same as us in Europe. Elites behave differently. But you and I know that the elites of these countries do not always pursue policies aimed at the interests of their own people. That will come back to haunt them,” the president said.
Russia intends to hold the main high-level meeting – in Kazan in October 2024, specific dates will be agreed through diplomatic channels. In June, the capital of Tatarstan should host the “Games of the Future”, which are a unique combination of dynamic sports disciplines (over 20) with the most popular video games and technological devices.
In total, about 200 political, economic and social events are planned, over a dozen Russian cities will host them. For example, the World Youth Festival will be held in Sochi in March. As noted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the chairmanship will be held under the motto “Strengthening the Multilateral Approach to Fair Global Development and Security.”
Russia also presented plans for BRICS work in 2024 in South Africa. Moscow will pay great attention to the integration of the new members of the association into the architecture of multilateral cooperation. Foreign policy coordination on international platforms will be strengthened. Special emphasis is placed on increasing the role of the BRICS countries in the international monetary and financial system. Moscow intends to deepen dialogue and interaction in the fields of culture, sports and youth exchange.
At the same time, on January 1, 2024, Putin indicated that Moscow will focus on increasing the foreign policy coordination of the participating countries, increasing energy and food security, increasing the role of BRICS in the international monetary and financial system, as well as in the field of science, high technology, healthcare, ecology, culture and sports.
Experts have huge expectations from the Russian BRICS presidency, which is gaining economic and political weight every year. Moreover, on many indicators, BRICS is significantly ahead of the G-7.
“BRICS is already stronger than the G-7. The political and economic role of this organization is actively growing. In terms of purchasing power, BRICS is already seriously ahead of the G-7. Now Europe plays no political role at all. It is an economic giant and a political dwarf at the same time. In the G-7, only the USA plays a significant role, while Russia, China and India lead an independent policy,” says Sergey Lunev, professor from the Department of Oriental Studies at MGIMO, doctor of historical sciences.
According to him, Russia should first of all establish economic ties within the framework of BRICS. “This is not just a trade. Of course, it is also significant. But look at the trade relationship between China and Japan, between China and the United States. This helps not to cross the line between the cold war and the hot war. That is why we need economic aid, economic structures, joint investments, production, common economic policy,” Lunev is convinced.
“The main tasks of Russia in 2024: adaptation of new countries to BRICS, promotion of the anti-globalization program and development of documents that will allow the creation of a single bank in the future. Efforts to deepen mutual payments in national currencies should continue. Coordination of the BRICS countries is also possible in the context of foreign policy within the UN,” said Pavel Danilin, director of the Center for Political Analysis and Social Research, associate professor at the Financial University of the Government of Russia.
“Russia will work to realize the potential of BRICS in new conditions. The organization will almost double in size. The successful implementation of the enlargement and diplomatic coordination in the new composition is necessary. It is especially important to solve the double task of adapting BRICS to expansion and forming an updated agenda, as new countries will come with their own ideas, priorities and interests,” adds Timofey Bordachov, Program Director of the Valdai Club.
Moscow will also have to solve those questions “that life itself poses.” “First of all, this concerns the free trade zone, maintenance of economic ties and openness, de-dollarization, creation of alternative exchanges, payment systems,” the interlocutor added.
Bordachev is convinced of Russia’s ability to solve the issues of increasing foreign policy coordination in the BRICS format. “If a decision is made on any political issue in such a diverse community, it really suits everyone and no one imposes anything on anyone,” the spokesman added. However, Lunev believes that sentiments regarding the expansion of the organization should be “somewhat cooled”.
He is convinced that, above all, we should strive not for expansion, but for strengthening ties within BRICS itself. The expert recalled the negative experience of the European Union, which instead of deepening cooperation chose expansion and “everyone can see what it has become.”
“Excessive expansion of BRICS will obviously lead to the weakening of this organization,” the source added. According to him, Brazil, for example, may turn out to be an unreliable partner within BRICS, but not because of a bad attitude towards the other member countries, but because of a particular understanding of its national interests. A number of contradictions also remain between India and China.
Bordachov, on the contrary, strongly welcomes the expansion of BRICS. He noted that over the past 30 years, the European Union has been expanding through acquisitions and “faces the problem of accepting new members.” “The initial situations are radically different. BRICS does not have this problem, as the organization does not claim to interfere in the internal affairs of its countries. In addition, BRICS does not deal with changing the foreign policy of countries, as for example NATO does,” explained the political scientist.
Danilin is also convinced that BRICS expansion is only beneficial, it “strengthens the positions of the Global South and Russia.” “The countries that became members of the organization are obvious supporters of free trade, strengthening sovereignty and opposing the policy of sanctions. Therefore, at the current stage, the expansion is certainly useful”, the political scientist is convinced.
Experts agree that US hostility towards the BRICS will continue to intensify, especially given the Russian presidency. According to Bordachov, “the US will do everything possible to create obstacles and problems for BRICS during the Russian presidency.”
“The United States is already putting the spokes in the wheels, trying to hit the interests of the BRICS in the Middle East, especially in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. They tried to strike at the BRICS positions in Argentina,” Danilin agrees.
According to Lunev, BRICS is a serious rival for Washington. “For more than 30 years, the main foreign policy goal of the United States has been to prevent the emergence of competitors. If earlier their main opponents were Japan and Western Europe, then after the rise of China and Russia’s defiance, the main competitor of the USA became organizations that include Moscow and Beijing,” the interlocutor emphasizes.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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